


Surprise, Not Dead

by Lady_Blackhawk



Category: Young Avengers
Genre: I am not nice to Cassie's mom and step-dad, Nate and Vision mentioned, character death mention
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-17
Updated: 2015-01-17
Packaged: 2018-03-07 21:51:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,939
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3184436
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lady_Blackhawk/pseuds/Lady_Blackhawk
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Cassie is alive and wants to tell the Young Avengers...will she? How will they react?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Surprise, Not Dead

**Author's Note:**

> There have been a few other fics, but I think this one goes right to the heart of it.

For the fourth time in two days Cassie slammed the door to her bedroom in frustration. She had been back from the dead about a month now and she hadn’t been anywhere except home, school and a couple of places with her dad…that her mom didn’t need to know about. When she had brought up the idea at dinner one night of contacting her team and her friends her mom did not like it.

She got a new phone the week before, clean, with her mom’s number and Blake’s already programmed, then she added her dad. But no Kate or Billy and Tommy and Teddy or Eli. She never did memorize their numbers. But she needed to contact them, find out if they were okay, and tell them she was alive. At first her mother would delay it, promise to have Blake track down their numbers but forgetting or telling her to wait until she was more adjusted.

Well she had gone back to school after a week of being back. She had recuperated enough to hear Mrs. Johnson drag on and on about how FDR was the best president in the entire history of the nation. If she was well enough to doodle in her notebook while tuning her out, surely she was well enough to see her friends, find out if their addresses changed, see where they are. But she was watched. School and home, no way to skip out, no way to side track. Every day her mom dropped her off or someone would pick her up, on occasion she would walk. Once she went to the old Bishop Publishing building and found it once again covered in dust and deserted.

When she asked her mom and Blake if they had found something out about Billy at least, his mom was a psychologist who sometimes consulted for the NYPD, or Kate whose father donated countless thousands to the good work the police did. But instead she got her mom’s cold stare.

"They are not friends of yours anymore," she had told her while Blake looked all smug and proud of himself, "They got you killed." 

"No, they didn't. Dr. Doom killed me and thanks to me he wasn't able to take over the world. I was a hero and you holding me hostage won't change that." 

"You're not seeing them."

"At least let me tell them I'm alive. I can't imagine what they're been going through." 

"Your mother is right. You can make new friends and if you really want to help people you can become a cop when you're older." suggested Blake.

"Fat chance," Cassie had muttered which got her sent to her room. No surprise there. The fighting had continued from that dinner and nothing she said would budge her mother. It was as if she was intent on keeping her in some kind of plastic bubble. She was alive and if she could she was going to be a superhero again. It was who she was, who her friends were, who her father was. It was not going to change just because her mom didn't like it. Times like this she missed her conversations with Kate.

After a particularly bad fight with her mom and step-dad the two would get together at a diner, get coffee, eat pie, and vent away from prying eyes. She pulled out an old photo album from under the floorboard of her bedroom and looked through the happy, smiling goofy fan boys with Kate’s signature smirk, the good times they had, the secrets they shared, and the battles they fought.

She slid the “unlock” bar on her phone and called her dad. They had been talking almost every day. Cassie had given her mom a chance and she proved to be the same person she always was. The blond was not going to take this anymore.

"Hi Sweetheart," he greeted her with warmth. Why couldn't she live with him? Things would be so much better with her dad, "You okay?"

"Dad...I need your help." 

Rehashing her plan to her Dad made him happy that she thought to highly of him, but he did not have the same pull he did when he came back from the dead. He agreed that he would do all he could to help her and set off. Cassie was spending all of Saturday with her dad, whether her mom liked it or not, and that would be the day. 

Who could Scott call...certainly not Stark, not Thor...he could go see Wanda, but who had been closest to the kids. He looked around and saw Jessica Jones with her daughter Danielle Cage in her strolled happily clapping. He had decided to go for a walk to clear his head and hoped that there would be some kind of sign as to how he could help his daughter. 

"Hi Jess." he greeted her on a cold day in central park, "Funny running into you here." 

"Scott, wow, how've you been?" 

"Great actually. Uh, I have some good news. Um...Cassie she's....she's back." 

"Back....you mean...." Scott nodded. 

"That's incredible, congratulations Scott. Have the other kids seen her, do they know?" She went over and hugged him tightly. 

"Not yet...uh, apparently her mother has been preventing her from reaching out and seeing them. She doesn’t have their numbers and isn’t really sure if their emails or anything are still valid.... and…well that's not really something you do over a phone call." 

"Agreed." Jessica put her hand to her chin, thinking, "Wait, call Clint." 

"Clint?" 

"Yeah, Kate's been helping Clint, they've been teaming up a lot lately. Do you remember how to reach him?" 

"I do." replied Scott, "Thank You Jess, you're incredible." 

"I know," replied the former superhero, "I better get going, good luck and please whenever this thing happens…let me know how it goes, the number’s the same." 

"I will Jess, I promise." 

Scott headed back to his cramped apartment and grabbed his laptop. Clint Barton, archer extraordinaire. He emailed Clint, explaining the situation, asking him to tell Kate to meet him Saturday at the gates of Avenger's Mansion. 

Reading the email the archer scratched his head, while sitting at his kitchen table. Kate had arrived with fresh groceries and tapped him on the shoulder to let him know she was there.

"What are you reading so intently?" she asked, "Hot date?" 

"Funny. No it’s an email from Scott Lang. He wants to meet up with you and the other Young Avengers this Saturday.”

“Cassie’s Dad?”

“Unless you know another Scott Lang.”

“Did he say why?”

“Nope, but he wants all the other Young Avengers there, in civvies.”

Kate wondered what was going on. Did Scott need their help? Were the other Avengers doing something screwy to the memorial garden?

“What time?”

“Noon.” Said Hawkeye

“I guess I’ll get the gang.”

“Tell them I say hi.”

 

From: Kate

To: Billy

            Scott Lang got in touch with me.

From Billy:

            That’s out of the blue.

From Kate:

            Yeah. Sat. Noon Avenger’s Mansion gate, you, me, Tommy, Teddy.

From Billy:

            …okay then. I’ll tell the others….what about Eli?

From Kate:

            Let’s hear what he has to say, if it affects him we’ll tell him.

Billy stared at his screen as Tommy ran in, with Teddy following into the living room. Had Kate not texted Billy’s report on the Battle of Waterloo would have been finished ten minutes ago. Instead that time had been used to stare at the screen.

            “What’s wrong with you? Got a text from a secret lover?” Asked Tommy falling onto Billy’s bed instead of his own, on the other side of the room.

            “It was Kate…” he said with a confused voice.

            “What did she want?”

            “Saturday….noon, Avenger’s mansion…Scott Lang wants to meet us.”

            “Cassie’s dad?” asked Teddy.

            “Yeah?” Billy slumped in his desk chair. Billy hadn’t been depressed in recent months and now seeing Scott, whatever the reason, could slump Billy back.

            “Maybe we shouldn’t go,” said Tommy.

            “No Kate said he wanted all of us,” insisted Billy.

            “We haven’t seen or heard of him since….the memorial,” said Teddy, “Should I text Eli?”

            “Will he answer?” asked Tommy.

            “No, Kate wants us to wait until we know what he wants. It could be superhero stuff.”

            “So…are we all going?”

            “I guess that’s a yes,” added Tommy and texted Kate “We are all in.”

            “Kate said to come in civvies.”

Saturday rolled around and Cassie jumped out of bed at 7. She did not care that it was way too early for a Saturday; she was seeing her dad. She showered and was already eating cereal by 7:45, earlier than anyone else. Scott arrived by 8 to Peggy and Blake’s grunting that he was going to be late.

            “So what are you two planning on doing today?” asked Cassie’s mom.

            “None of your business,” Cassie muttered behind her father who shook his head.

            “We’ll get settled at my place then go out to lunch maybe a movie, just take it easy,” replied Scott casually.

            “Sound nice…so if I call and check in…”

            “I’ll put it on silent.” Said Cassie. Peggy shook her head.

            “Have fun and Cassie I expect you back promptly at six tomorrow you have homework.”

            “Took it with me,” said Cassie, “See you Monday.” She grabbed her father’s hand and pulled him outside.

            “That was pretty rude Cassie.”

            She was silent for a moment as they turned to head down the street, “Maybe a little. But I don’t know what to do. I tell her things she gets mad, I keep secrets she gets mad. I’m not a kid anymore. I saved the world, but I guess in her eyes that doesn’t matter.”

            “She just wants what’s best for you,” supplied Scott.

            “But she doesn’t listen. She yells at me for not listening to her, but why should I when she doesn’t listen to me.”

            He put a hand on his daughter’s shoulder and grabbed her backpack full of clothes and homework.

            At 11:30 Cassie and Scott arrived in front of the mansion and went to get ice cream. They chatted and Cassie caught him up on what happened at school. Scott listened diligently.

Seeing the familiar appearance of blue sparks in the distance Cassie hid behind a tree and waited.

            “Mr. Lang,” called Kate.

            “Scott please,”

            Billy and Tommy looked distrusting and Teddy more cautious if not a tad confused. But they were all confused, “Thank you all for meeting me.”

            “What’s this all about?” asked Billy quickly, wanting to hear him out and go. It hurt too much to be there with the father of their fallen friend.

            Scott sat down on a bench opposite the tree so that their backs would be turned to Cassie’s hiding place.

            “About a month ago I received an unexpected visitor. I expected for this person to reach out to you sooner but there were outside circumstances involved…anyway. This person asked me to find you and bring you all here.”

            “Who was that person?” asked Teddy.

            Cassie stepped from behind the tree and stood behind them, “It was me.”

            The voice made the five jumped. They turned and gasped. Kate slapped a hand over her mouth, Teddy’s eyes went wide, Tommy looked like whiter than usual and Billy looked ready to cry.

            “C…C…”

            “Hi guys,” she said with a weak grin, “long time no see…where’s Eli?”

            “You’re alive.” Kate managed.

            “Yup.”

            “We saw…you…you died,” said Tommy

            “I know.”

            Billy bit his lip and tried to hide behind Teddy which soon proved pointless when the jolly, but-not-always-green blond walked over and hugged Cassie as tight as he could without hurting her.

            Kate was next, shoving Teddy playfully aside then Tommy who was more gentle and cold in his hug, but the gesture surprised everyone.

            “Do me a favor, don’t do that again,” he said.

            “Not planning on it,” replied Cassie.

Tommy let her go and everyone turned to Billy, “Don’t I get a hug from you.”

            “Cassie…I…I’m so sorry Cassie. I am so, so sorry. This was all my fault…if I had just…”

            “Are you Dr. Doom?”

            “Well…no, but…”

            “No buts, now come and give me a hug,” said Cassie. Billy walked slowly over and wrapped his arms around her like she was a delicate artifact, to be handled with care or it could turn to dust. He held her tightly and tears fell down his arm.

            “I’m so sorry.”

            “It wasn’t your fault and I’m back, everything’s okay…just tell me two things. Where is Eli and where is Jonas…oh and Nate too?”

            No one spoke at first. Everyone turned to Kate who shook her head and Tommy sat down beside Scott on the bench.

            “After you died…Nate kind of lost it. He attacked Vision…and he…died…” Tommy had rarely been the one to deliver bad news, but he had to take the lead, he had to be strong for the others.

            Cassie looked down and felt tears staining her cheeks, “What about Nate?”

            “No idea,” supplied Teddy, “After the act he swore he was going to bring you back and took off into the time stream and we haven’t heard anything since.”  

            “Is…is Eli d…dead too?”

            “I blamed myself,” said Billy, “And Eli did too. He said he had no business being a superhero and moved to Scottsdale. We get an occasional email.”

            “God Cassie, it’s so good to have you back,” said Teddy

            “You guys got old,” said Cassie.

            “Older, not old,” corrected Tommy.

            Cassie look at her friends, Teddy didn’t look like himself, that haircut wasn’t working for him and where was all the metal he wore on his ears, Tommy thankfully looked the same and Kate did as well though her hair was straighter. Billy looked….he looked guilty and like he had been going through a lot. The change in hair, the earring…it didn’t look like him.

            “Billy...” began Cassie, “I don’t blame you or Eli, just Doom and honestly, I don’t even have enough energy to blame him.”

            “But…”

            “No buts,” she pulled him into another hug, a tight hug, “And an earring, really? It’s not your style.”

            “I don’t know,” replied the young wizard, “I think I pull it off?”

            “As in you should pull the mop off your head,” replied Tommy, “I mean seriously bro, what were you thinking?”

            “And the earring?”

            “Hate to say it…” began Teddy.

            “Oh, and you’re not off the hook either,” she turned to the Halfling.

            “Me?”

            “Yeah, the Justing Bieber haircut has got to go.”

            “Justin…” Billy and Tommy snickered together. Teddy lowered his head.

            “I tried to tell you,” added Billy. Teddy shifted his hair back to way it was a bit longer, sleeker more how it used to be, “Now that’s you.” Next Billy used his magic to change his appearance back to how he used to be, once again matching Tommy in every way except in hair, “Much better.”

            “It is good to have you back Cassie,” said Kate proudly.

            “Now we just have to tell Eli.” Reminded Teddy.

            “I actually have an idea,” said Scott, Kate your phone please. Cassie handed him her phone skeptically and he turned on the camera, “Group picture?”

            They huddled together and got their picture taken. As Cassie collected her friends’ new contact information Kate sent the picture to Eli, after all, a picture is worth a 1000 words.

            She smiled wickedly as she sent the picture to Eli.

SCOTTSDALE, AZ

            Eli Bradley sat in his History of the Enlightenment class bored out of his mind. His teacher was an incompetent Marxists who clearly didn’t actually read a single book on the Enlightenment, had he, he would realize that Marx existed after the Enlightenment and was about as enlightened as a doorknob. His idiocy did not belong anywhere near the class, though neither did the professor. Oh well. Eli took notes as the professor instructed and tried to make time go faster.

            His phone buzzed; Kate had texted him. Begrudgingly he looked at his phone

            _You will not believe who we saw today,_ the text read. He opened the text and saw the photo, nothing out of the ordinary so he clicked on it. Happy faces of Teddy, Kate, Tommy, Billy, and….

A gasp

            It escaped in one wave of air and the entire class turned. The professor paused his lecture.

            “Something the matter Eli?”

            He ignored the professor, “Um…I….emergency….have….go.” He scooped his things up and ran out of the lecture hall.

            Eli managed to find a quiet corner of the campus, a bench tucked away beside a tree and he dropped his stuff down on it. The picture…it was…it was really her.

            He video-dialed Kate and watched until her face appeared.

            “Is this a joke?” asked Eli, “To get me back to New York?”

            Kate rolled her eyes and turned the camera where Cassie stood, waving, grinning.

            “Hi Eli, long time no see.”

            It felt as if a weight had been lifted he returned to wave, “Hi Cassie, welcome back.”

            “Good to be back.” And boy was it. She had lost the Vision and Nate was missing and that hurt, but she was alive and her friends were there, a little bruised, but okay. She had them and she had her dad. Only then, after that day in the park, did she finally feel truly home; did she finally feel alive. 


End file.
